1.3 Zachman Framework
The Zachman Framework is a 6x6 matrix - six interrogatives (What, How, Where, Who, When, Why) across six perspectives (Planner, Owner, Designer, Builder, Subcontractor, Functioning Enterprise).
1.3 The Zachman Framework
The 6x6 matrix
Each cell holds an artefact that answers one interrogative at one perspective. Thirty-six cells total.
| Perspective | What (Data) | How (Process) | Where (Network) | Who (People) | When (Time) | Why (Motivation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope (Planner) | Entities | Functions | Locations | Roles | Events | Goals |
| Business (Owner) | Concepts | Activities | Sites | Org units | Cycles | Strategies |
| System (Designer) | Logical | Logic | Logical net | Roles + UI | Schedules | Rules |
| Technology (Builder) | Physical | Programs | Physical net | Users + UI | Triggers | Policies |
| Detailed (Subcontractor) | Schemas | Code | Configs | UI screens | Job specs | Standards |
| Functioning Enterprise | Live data | Live process | Live network | Live people | Live timing | Live policy |
Sample cells (Sample Bakery Shop)
| Cell | Artefact |
|---|---|
| Owner / What | Customer, Order, Product |
| Designer / How | Place order, reconcile inventory |
| Builder / Where | Sample City HQ + AWS ap-southeast-1 |
| Owner / Who | Owner, Counter, Customer |
| Designer / When | Open, close, daily audit |
| Owner / Why | Grow online sales by 20 percent |
Why Zachman is useful
- It forces you to ask Why for every What and How.
- It surfaces missing artefacts that other frameworks let you skip.
- It is technology-neutral, so it survives stack changes.
Where Zachman is not enough
- It does not prescribe a process. You still need TOGAF's ADM or your
own method to fill the cells.
- It is descriptive, not prescriptive - it does not tell you whether a
cell's content is right, only that it should exist.
Mentor tip - pick a row, pick a column
Tackling all 36 cells at once is paralysing. Start with the Owner row (business perspective) and the What + Why columns. That covers strategy and entities - the two cells where misalignment hurts most.
Mentor’s tip: Six perspectives, six interrogatives, 36 cells. Zachman is the checklist - TOGAF is the method that fills it. Start with Owner + What/Why; expand outward only when the central cells are stable.
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